This invention relates to an attachment interface for attaching mobile equipment to an aircraft structure. More specifically, the invention relates to attachment means for attaching a winch system to a structure inside of an airplane to optimize the transmission of stress loading to the structure in three directions in order to prevent any movement of this equipment relative to the structure while allowing for the quick mounting and release of the equipment. The invention also relates to a method for mounting and releasing equipment attached to such an interface and a cable installation for aircraft having such an attachment interface.
Such a cable installation has applications mainly in the field of military aircraft in the context of static line parachuting.
Usually, in the context of static line parachuting, parachutists hook up their static line to an anchor line cable stretched high inside the airplane by means of a snap hook. When a parachutist jumps from a door located at the rear of the airplane, the static line unfurls and pulls the parachute out of his bag. When the parachute is fully deployed, due to gravity, the cord that connects it to the static line becomes taut and breaks with the static line, which then hangs on the line cable.
There is a known installation of such a suspension cable with a winch system (FIG. 1) situated at the front of the airplane and usually paired with a pulley system at the rear of the airplane, the assembly allowing the cable to be stretched from one end of the airplane to the other end and, by winding and unwinding the cable around the rotating drum of the winch, allowing the static lines, which are left hanging from the door after the parachutists jump, to be brought back into the airplane in order to close the door of the airplane.
It is also known that the winch is attached to the structure of the aircraft via four attachment arms 28A, 28B situated at the ends of a frame 26 that each cooperate with a corresponding fitting 2A, 2B. The fitting is a formed part to be permanently attached to the structure of the aircraft.
FIG. 2 provides a front section view of the attachment interface between the attachment arms and the fittings to show the means of attaching the attachment arms to the fittings. Each of the four arms 28A, 28B has a double clevis in which is houses one end 4A, 4B of the fitting 2A, 2B. The sides of the double clevises and the ends are drilled to accommodate a fastener 30, such as a screw and nut, to lock into position all of the elements of the assembly clevises thus formed.